Humans are made to move. Without movement, our bodies will wither away via a slow degeneration and ultimately death. Time and again, we have come across how important it is to stay physically active by walking day and night and hitting the gym at least four times a week. The whole hoopla around staying physically active is there for a reason. Walking as much as you can daily and lifting weights in the gym are the cheat codes to a healthy body and a long life.
Staying physically active has numerous physical and mental health benefits that contribute significantly to a long and healthy life.
Physical activity has a stronger impact on reducing mortality risk: Study
A recent study has revealed that regular physical activity has a significant impact on lowering mortality risk with age, while the influence of other health factors diminishes over time.
In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers studied over 2 million adults from four large cohort studies to study whether the connection between physical activity (PA) and all-cause mortality differs by age.
They concluded that meeting PA recommendations was consistently associated with lower mortality risk across all ages, with a stronger effect in older adults. In contrast, the benefits of other health factors lowered with age.
7 Ways staying physically active can add more years to your life
1. Better mental health
It is not a surprising fact that exercising can help hit your weight loss goals along with a healthy diet. Staying physically active can help shed extra pounds and help you ward off the risk of obesity. A reduced calorie intake or limiting calories may slow your metabolism down but exercising can help keep your metabolism steady, facilitating a faster calorie burn and weight loss.
3. Strength and muscle building
As we age, our muscles and bones undergo wear and tear. If you don’t focus on strength training, your muscles and bones will get weaker with age, posing mobility challenges as you grow older. The key to a long life is movement. If your ability to move gets restricted due to age, it will further contribute to different health issues that could shorten your life.
4. Better sleep and relaxation
Exercising regularly or staying physically active can help you sleep better at night. Sleeping is the best way to recover your physical and mental health. Adequate, quality sleep also keeps your stress levels in check, helping you get over symptoms of stress and anxiety better.
5. Better skin health
Your skin issues are rooted to the amount of oxidative stress in your body. Oxidative stress is the result of the inability of your body’s antioxidant defenses to repair the cell damage caused by free radicals. This can damage the structure of the cells and negatively impact your skin. Moderate physical activity can help reverse the damage done by oxidative stress.
6. Better heart health
Aerobic and cardio exercises like running, swimming or cycling can contribute to a healthier heart as you age. Exercising also helps lower high cholesterol and blood pressure, reducing the risk of a heart attack when you get old.
7. Prevents chronic lifestyle disorders
Regular physical activity helps prevent a wide range of health problems that come from a poor lifestyle. They include metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis, stroke, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, etc.
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